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Physical activity

Danes move too little and sit down too much. In fact, 3 out of 4 Danes are sedentary or only minimally active in their spare time, and our studies show that office workers sit down for ten hours a day.

The consequence of this physical inactivity is a wide range of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancerous diseases, as well as approximately 6,000 additional deaths per year. This is equivalent to 7-8 percent of all deaths in Denmark.

Physical inactivity also shortens our average life expectancy, so that on average we live 1 year and 1 month less.

At the National Institute of Public Health we conduct research not only in physical activity and everyday movement but also in sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity.

We monitor the population’s physical activity and inactivity, and research the relationship between health and physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. In addition, we carry out and develop interventions with the goal of getting children, adolescents and adults to move and exercise more in their everyday lives, in school and at work.